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Storms, Secrets, and Spies
So, this is a story by me, Becca. It's kind of rough for now, so feel free to tell me if I messed something up. Comments are awesome! I want to get it published, so just don't copy it, okay? Good. Now, to start... Chapter 1: Storms The grey clouds and thick fog seemed appropriate to the students’ mood. Exhausted. Defeated. All hope drained from them. There were about thirty students in all, crammed into the small school bus. They bounced up and down every second, since the potholes in the rugged road were only made worse by the enormous flood. Most of the students had lost homes to the terrible flood. Friends. Family. The oldest was fifteen, the youngest only ten, and already at such a young age they had experienced such a crisis. Yet they communicated none of this. It was not yet dawn and the moonlight cast eerie shadows across their faces, reflecting their grim attitude across the walls of the rickety old bus. Suddenly, the bus stopped, water rushing past its tires. The bus driver pushed on the door handle, and it creaked open a foot. Then it stopped, unable to open farther against the pounding wind and rain. The bus driver, a skinny ragged old man, groaned and undid the ripped seatbelt across his waist. Then he stood up and pushed his entire weight against the door and it popped open, showering him and the kids who sat closest to him and the door. David Kneed, who was twelve and in charge of the towels, which had to be given out to each person to avoid pneumonia, gasped and dove for the driest ones, sheltering them with his body. The driver groaned in effort of keeping the door open and poked his head out the opening and shouted, “Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in.” His answer was a mouthful of leaf bits and enough water to fill up a swimming pool. David stuffed the towels in his battered backpack and stood to see out the window. All he saw was flying debris and crumbled roads, the only things he’d seen out that window since he’s boarded the bus. Determined to see the newcomer, he stuck his head out from behind the protection of the seat back. He was instantly soaked from head to toe. Sputtering, he retreated back behind the safety of the seat. David was immediately shivering and he longed for his soft, warm bed back at home. He sat for a moment, debating whether he should try again to see the figure again or to give up and wait for the person to board the bus. It was puzzling to him because most people he’d met on this trip were happy to get out of the rain and cold. They would sit shivering with strangers for hours before the bus driver retreated and drove the opposite direction towards to school, where the students would be dropped off and hustled to the flood proof basement. The students would be welcomed by the scent of stale donuts and vending machine foods. They would wait the storm out and get picked up by their parents. Teachers would send the bus out again with fresh towels and blankets and – if they were lucky – snacks. David stayed with the bus driver. He knew his parents wouldn’t be available to pick him up or to reach by phone. He knew. David decided to stop living in the past this one moment and look to someone who he could help, not ones who he was unable to save. Maybe he could help this person through the wreckage of the history and stumble into the new. He risked a quick peek out from the protecting seat back. All he saw was a shadow. He hoped the person would just climb the steps already. What was it scared of? The figure surveyed the scene warily, took a step, and bolted for the seat next to David. The door clanged shut just before a massive tree branch slammed into the bus. It rocked the bus slightly but had no major effect on it. The driver grumbled and plopped back into his seat. After two tries, the engine started again, and they were off. David peered into the seat next to him. The figure looked up from the ball where it had curled itself into and there, David could see who it was. A girl, possibly thirteen, sat cowering in the shadows. Her dull brown hair was tangled in the ponytail where it had been pulled into and an angry gash ran from her forehead to her eye. Her deep brown eyes were brimming with fear and hurt. David recognized that look from other survivors on the bus, ones who had lost everything to this flood. He scooted toward her and tossed her the driest towel, the one that had been in the middle of the pile. He figured if anyone deserved it, it was this meek girl. Then he turned and wrapped another towel around the bus driver’s shoulders, where the shivering was worst. The girl’s eyes widened when she realized that the towel given to her was for her. ''David sat on the edge of her seat and grabbed the towel that lay next to her dirty backpack, unmoved since he had tossed it to her. “Here,” he said as he draped the towel over her like a blanket. Now she looked at him in amazement, like she couldn’t imagine why he would want to help her. “It’s okay,” he began. “My name’s David Kneed. What’s yours?” “Jen ... Jenna,” she stuttered. “Okay, Jenna, you’re safe in here. In an hour or two, you’ll be at the middle school. They’ve got some good food, trust me.” He cracked a smile, though there wasn’t much to smile about. “Then you’re parents or whoever will pick you up.” The girl’s somewhat hopeful look turned to anger at that last sentence. “Please ... just leave me alone, David.” David felt his jaw drop, though he knew to expect this. Many times, the new passengers were quiet, stunned, and most of all, angry. Angry at the flood and homes collapsing and the fact that the state of Florida hadn’t been prepared. All at once, the cruelty of it all crashed down on him and he turned to sit in his own seat, across from Jenna’s. His back to the girl, he sobbed quietly into his soaked backpack, thinking of all the horrible things that had happened because of this cursed flood. David awoke with a start. Instantly, he bolted straight up out of the uncomfortable bus seat. He scanned his surroundings through squinted eyes. The sun was high in the sky, and the rain had let up, leaving everything soggy and wet. The highway snaked out in front of them, filled with debris littering the road and collapses larger than cars. But that was the least of their worries. Directly in front of them, perhaps only a couple of yards away, stood three masked men, guns help out in front of them, staring him straight in the eye. Chapter 2: The First Glance Panic shot through David like lightning. He bent over as if he was leaning to grab a backpack, flattened himself against the dusty bus floor, and took off. He squirmed under the seats, towards the sign labeled ''Emergency Exit. When he had arrived at the door, he realized he had another problem. The door was stuck! Somehow, a flying tree branch had wedged itself between the exterior handle and the door. It wouldn’t budge. As he threw his body weight at the door, he scanned the bus, looking for Jenna. He saw younger kids softly crying and ducking and tucking underneath their seats, but no sign at all of the scarred girl. Then, he spotted her. She motioned to him and he army-crawled to her. Her eyes were wide with fear, and, though she was determined not to show it, he could tell she was terrified. Who wouldn’t be? Jenna spoke up. “David, you have to follow me, alright?” At David’s look of disbelief, she assured him. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” “Um ... okay. Where are we going?” David asked, his voice slightly quivering. Instead of answering, Jenna stood straight up. David shook his head violently at her and pulled her back down. What was she trying to do? Didn’t she know that there were armed gunmen outside that could see her? Jenna sighed and grabbed his wrist. When she hefted him up, he was amazed at her strength. He was not overweight, although not light either, but she had brought him from his hiding place as easy as it would be to heft the pack that hung on her back. But, no matter her strength, they still couldn’t fend off three would-be attackers with guns. Still, she yanked him up and dragged him to the bus door. She propelled a powerful kick at the door and it swung open. Her index finger flew to her lips as she poked her head out the opening. She saw two men arguing with another. One became angry and took a swing at the other. He ducked and grabbed at the man. Jenna pulled her head back to grin at David. “We’ll never have a better chance. C’mon. Let’s go.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the doorway. They crawled under the bus in dirty puddles of water and motor oil. Suddenly, one of the men stopped in mid-punch as he spotted them. He pulled out his holstered gun and aimed directly at David’s foot ... “No!” Jenna shouted. “David – hurry!” She grabbed his arms and pulled with all her might just as the masked man pulled the trigger. The bullet missed his sneaker by an inch and zinged into a deep puddle. David gasped, struggled to his feet, and broke into a flat-out sprint. His heart bumped against his ribs and his lungs threatened to explode, but he didn’t want to know the consequences that the gunmen would give him if they caught them. Next to him, Jenna was breathing easily and easily passed him with her long strides. All three men now realized what was happening and began to follow in hot pursuit. David knew that one of them could easily overrun and overpower both of them easily. David risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw in horror that one of the men were only thirty feet away. Twenty-five. Jenna, who was about five paces ahead of him, looked back and gasped. Her legs were working like pistons while David was gasping for breath. Jenna’s eyes widened and she slowed, rummaging around in one of the pack’s side pockets. The man looked scared, which confused David, but it was better not to question it. Jenna’s hands came up out of the pack ... with a strange-looking pistol. David’s eyes widened in alarm. The man that was closest sneered and reached for his gun belt. He looked startled and shot his gaze back to the bus. His gun lay in the dust. Apparently, his partner disarmed him when he was threatening him. He shot a murderous look at the man opposite him. “Get behind me. Now,” Jenna commanded at David, holding the pistol steady, pointing it directly with the man’s head. David, who was now getting nervous, disappeared behind Jenna. He gasped for breath and soon realized he had none. David’s mind was getting cloudy and already black splotches began to overpower his vision. Running that fast and far was really a new thing for him, especially with men with guns trailing them. The men were looking nervous by now, and Jenna saw it in their faces. She saw the option and took it. “I want you all to get down, your hands on your head,” Jenna ordered. “I know how to use this thing and you know it.” Jenna was now circling them. The men were laying face-first on the damp ground. David could see a tattoo of a dragon on each of the men’s right hand and back of their neck. Jenna knelt to them, but hesitated. Her gaze was directed to David, who was frozen with fear. First, gunmen hold up their bus. Then, Jenna begins to act like some superspy. What was next? Ignoring his fearful expression, Jenna tossed him the gun. “If they try anything, don’t hesitate to shoot,” she told him. He gave a weak nod and gulped. He was facing the men while Jenna was behind them. She couldn’t see the smirks on their faces. His sweaty fingers almost dropped the pistol. He hoped it wouldn’t shoot if it was dropped. He didn’t know anything about guns and this was the first one he had held in his life, except for his friend’s older brother’s airsoft gun. The difference between the two was that one could hurt you if you got unlucky and one was permanent. David put a death grip on it and concentrated. Wimp, he thought. He couldn’t hold a gun, even after seeing a scared girl do it! Speaking of scared girls, Jenna was now on the ground and looking strangely calm and not scared at all. Okay, maybe scratch that scared part, David thought, but still! Jenna began to pat the men down. Altogether, she found a knife attached to the inside of a pant leg, a suspicious-looking pen shoved between a sock and shoe, and two guns small guns that were hidden up a sleeve and a pocket. The men spat in her face and cursed at her, but she seemed oblivious. Finally, she stood and looked directly in one man’s eyes, holding the pen at her side stiffly. “Now, tell me. Who sent you?” she asked. When she got no answer, she held out the pen, as if threatening to use it on them. David felt hysteria rise. Was a twelve-year-old girl really threatening to use a pen on three full-grown men? This was getting weirder by the second. The pen – strangely enough – seemed to get one of the man’s attentition. And quickly. “You know, Jen, the usual. We can’t say a word or he’d skin us,” the supposed leader said, a strange foreign-sounding accent creeping into his voice. “Well, you’ve already said more than one word, so you’re a dead man already. What’s a few more words gonna hurt?” Jenna asked. “Like we’d tell you of all people,” he shot back. Jenna was now getting angry. “Tell me who sent you or else!” she warned. The man’s expression changed from scared to amusement. “You heard me!” Jenna shouted. All at once, the man started to laugh, which David secretly thought he should’ve been doing the whole time. A young girl threatening men with a pen. Laughable, to say the least. Beep-beep. Beep-beep. Beep-beep. “What the –” David started the same time Jenna yelled, “Run!” Chapter 3: Run! Jenna grabbed David’s hand and took off through the soggy land. David gasped as he ran and next to him, so did Jenna, but for an entirely different reason. They’d been had. After they sprinted over a half mile, Jenna put on the brakes. David barreled past her then stopped in his tracks after noticing she’d stopped. “What just happened back there?” David asked, panting worse than his old dog Mick after chasing the neighborhood cat. “Tracking ... device,” Jenna managed in between gasps. She bent down and caught her breath. After a moment, she held out the pen. “We had to run fast ‘cause it might go wonky if it has to work fast enough. But I’m not familiar with this design, so it might still be working. Now chuck it.” Jenna grinned. “In the opposite direction, please.” David reached for the pen and threw it as hard as he could. It bounced off a tree and landed in a pile of wet leaves. “Perfect.” Jenna grinned. “Now, I will take you to the Shack and we’ll figure out what to do next.” David was confused, terrified, and excited at the same time. After all, a girl was taking him to a place called the Shack, a gang of men held up his bus, and he’d had more excitement in the past thirty minutes then he’d had in his life. What else could he be feeling at this moment? For the first time in his life, he realized something. He felt alive. Chapter 4: The Bus Stand It had begun to rain again. Slight drizzling at first, then it came down in buckets. David took cover in a small roofed bus stop. It was half destroyed and barely standing, but it was better than nothing. He sat on a bitter cold wooden bench while Jenna ran her hands along battered and peeling advertisements. That girl didn’t seem to be the slightest bit tired, even though they had trudged miles to get here and before they had an all-out race against three men who were very serious about catching them. And she didn’t seem too nervous about it either, like this type of thing happened to her all the time. Every second David was spending with this girl was a second too much in his eyes, but what choice did he have? She was his only protection, and it would be foolish to run from that. So here he would stay until he had another option. A cruel wind blew through the bus stand, causing David’s body to shiver immensely. Jenna stopped in the middle of running her fingers over a “Got Milk?” Poster and she spun around to shrug off her pack. After she found a torn piece of cloth, she stuck it in her back pocket, zipped up her backpack, and began to examine the ads once more. David ignored her and hugged his knees, hoping that he might remember warmth again. Suddenly, a screeching noise filled the two kids’ ears and while David stood up to investigate, Jenna quickly shoved something inside the cloth, stuffed the cloth in her pocket, and turned around as quickly as she could. Seemed a bit suspicious to David, but after he’d been through today, what hadn’t been suspicious? Regular people normally can’t talk down bad guys and identify a pen as a tracker. He let it go for now, though, because he couldn’t do anything about it. She was his protection, and that was that. He turned his attention to the matter at hand. The noise was apparently caused by a rickety bus that was creaking its way up the shattered road at a snail pace. And it wasn’t a fast snail. Jenna craned her neck forward to scan the bus. It seemed to be a regular bus, but one couldn’t be too careful. Then she spotted the license plate. 64A-3H7. That was a plate she had memorized. It was a safe house on wheels. A place to find information. She looked at David and told him that they were going to get on the bus. He didn’t seem to understand, but he went along with it. By now, the bus was closer. As they waited for it to come closer, David huddled by the bus stand wall and Jenna fingered with the object wrapped in cloth in her pocket. She had a plan. Chapter 5: Markus’ Encounter The rain mercilessly pounded down like tiny hammers, beating down anything in sight. The weary man sitting at the wheel of the bus carefully picked his way around the car parts, lone tires, and fallen trees. He spotted a battered bus stop and a young boy and girl standing in it, soaking wet, waving their arms. The driver pulled over and creaked open the door. “One dollar,” came his bored statement. The girl fished around in her soaked shorts and found a soggy bill in her pocket. Then, after studying the torn nametag that was clipped to the side of his shirt, she leaned close and whispered the following words: “Markus Fielding, I am with the group that has contacted you. I believe understand what will happen next?” Markus began to sweat, and his expression changed from slightly bored to a bit nervous to scared. So these were the people, the ones who had given him a new bus and ordered his cooperation with any person that came through with the code words. He had not seen any in the past few months, which was something Markus did not regret. In the few times he had met with the agents, (that’s what he had suspected anyway. No one had given their occupation to him.) bad things happened. Like the piercing screams and blood stains and angry shouts. Markus tried his best to ignore these things and keep his mind on the unknown deposits into his bank account. He knew he was being bribed, but he didn’t care. He turned to focus on the girl standing in front of him. She was younger then he would have expected, but that didn’t matter. “The code words?” he asked in a slightly shaking voice. “Swan, Sparrow, Everest,” she said without hesitation. Then she tossed the dollar on the floor next to his feet, grabbed the boy’s hand, and walked to the back of the bus. Luckily, there were few people on the bus and no one noticed a boy and girl entering a secret door in the back. Markus reached down to the floor to retrieve the dollar. He found a piece of paper attached to the back of it. On it were the words: TURN OFF THE CAMERAS. WHEN YOU COME TO THE LAST STOP, PRESS THE BUTTON ‘B-E-E’ AND I WILL SHOUT THE ALL CLEAR WORDS. THEN YOU SHOULD CONTINUE ON. Markus took a deep breath, flicked his finger to the button CAMS OFF, and drove off without another sound. Chapter 6: The Secret Room And The Box Of Secrets It was smelly in the back of the bus. And dark. Cold, too. David tucked his knees up to his chin and leaned against the wall while Jenna dug around her pack for some matches. After Jenna told David they needed some matches, David was worried that they would be soaked like everything else in her pack, so he was relieved when he saw the box of matches in a waterproof bag. Leave it to Jenna to bring a bag like that in case of emergency. Despite his feelings toward her, he had to admit that she was prepared for anything. He didn’t think that there was even a such thing ''as a secret room in a bus, but here he was, sitting in one now. Jenna lifted her hand to strike the match and the sudden light startled both of them, making both squint and blink in distress. They were both too accustomed to the dim light from the sun which was covered by layers and layers of clouds. After a few moments had passed, the two could finally see their surroundings clearly; the wet buckets bolted to the floor to catch the water leaking from the ceiling, the rusty pipes that ran from one side of the room to the next, and the bins stacked against the wall. Not exactly a secret-spy hideout, but, hey, it was improvising. Jenna leaned forward and gave David the match and instructed him to hold it over a bin while she looked in it. He uneasily held the stick as the fire tried to creep up his hand. David was mortally afraid of fire, and for a very good reason. After choosing fire to research on his natural disasters school project, his mind was filled with the horror of being trapped in a burning building. It gave him nightmares simply thinking about it. Jenna used the light to dig around in the bins, after each muttering, “No. Not that one.” When she arrived at the last bin that was tucked in the corner sharing the space with cobwebs and a deserted rats’ nest, Jenna noticed that this one had a rusty padlock strapped across the lid. She took out the cloth from her pocket and unwrapped the object that was inside, the one that she had hidden from him earlier. Now he could see it clearly: It was a small key. Now Jenna was fully sitting on the dirty ground, 100% concentrated on the task at hand. With one hand she held the lock steady, and with the other she gripped the key. David didn’t understand why she was so focused; couldn’t she just try again if she messed up? He decided not to question in because there must be a reason why she was so serious about getting it right the first try. The focused girl suddenly stuck the key into the keyhole at the bottom of the padlock. She twisted it to right. David heard a faint ''click ''and the lock popped open. Jenna carefully pulled the lock off and opened up the lid. Inside sat a giant black cloth bag with bulging edges. Jenna pulled the bag out, closed the lid, and strung the lock back around the lid. She pushed the box aside and turned to sit against the wall as she took the match stick from David, which was something he very much appreciated. David sat next to Jenna, their backs leaning against the concrete wall. Jenna opened the drawstrings on the bag with one hand and pulled it loose. Inside was dozens of folded papers, booklets, and file folders. But that was all David could see before Jenna blocked his view with her own head and hands. She picked up the front paper and scanned it quickly. Then her eyes widened and she quickly stuffed it back in the bag and zipped it up in about two seconds. “What was in there?” David demanded. “Nothing!” Jenna answered. “Just... Nothing!” ''This is just getting weirder and weirder, ''David thought to himself as distrust filled inside him like a balloon. ''And it’s only going downhill from here. Chapter 7: The Files Jenna cast a quick glance at the back of David’s head. His posture was stiff and his body was in the same position it had been since she had closed the bag: Away from her. He didn’t trust her. That much, at least, was true. She didn’t know a lot about him at all, but at least she knew more about him then him about her. All David knew about her was that she carried a backpack and could use a gun. That was it. She tried to put herself in his shoes. It wasn’t pretty. It must be scary; not knowing what the heck was going on. She knew how that felt... Anyway, like any mission, she had to put the person’s feelings second. Getting to a safe place was always first. She had to get him and herself to safety, meaning the Shack, and examine the papers in private. The words from the paper were chiseled into her brain, the ones that made a gigantic impact on this mission and David’s private life. At least, it used to be private. AGENT CARUSO, THIS INFORMATION MUST NEVER BE SEEN BY DAVID KNEED. IF HE IS NEAR, CLOSE FILES NOW. IT IS VITALY IMPORTANT TO THE MISSION. HE MUST NEVER KNOW WHAT IS ON THESE FILES. This was a first. After she was assigned any mission, information was transported to a safe place (in this case a bus) where she could examine it. Most of the time it helped her know more about the people she was protecting along with the people who wanted them both dead. But she never had to hide the files. She liked being open, and since her background and life was anything but an open book, she tried to at least be honest about where she got her information. Jenna glanced back at David. He would be okay. He was just recovering from the events of the past hour, right? Then she set her mind on the mission goals. Getting to safety was first for a reason. It was important. And she should treat it as it was. Jenna shoved the cloth bag into her pack and stood up. They were here too long. It was only the matter of time before the Dragon found them. The Dragon. The fiercest gang she knew. Their members were loyal and would do anything for the Dragon cause. They were known to kill members when there was a slightest whisper that they might be a mole for law enforcement. The Dragon was behind anything from kidnappings to robberies to hostage situations. You name it; they had their snout buried in it. They had killed her partner, Jack Nikols, a year ago, and the anger still seethed inside her. He was her closest friend, also her only friend, and she would trust him with her life. He was the best partner she had ever had and she would do anything to get him back. She would never allow the Dragon to take another life if she could do anything about it. And she could start that by protecting David and getting him to safety. “C’mon David,” she said, “We gotta go.” David stood up, and turned towards her slowly. “Okay,” he said, “where do we go now?” Jenna turned her brown eyes onto him. “We have to go before those men come back. I’m sorry, but I promise you that at the right time I will tell you everything. But know that you have to trust me.” David nodded. “Alright,” Jenna stated. “Let’s go.” She shrugged off her pack with a careful glance at David and ran her hands along the far wall. Jenna found the rusty lever and pulled with all her might. It popped open and a small grey door on her left rattled open, revealing the road and a harsh wind. Apparently the slow bus driver was rebelling against his name. “What’d you do?” asked David over the noise. “You broke the bus!” Jenna smiled at that. “Far from it. I just got us a way outta here!” She sat down and squirmed so that her legs were hanging out. Then she motioned for David to hand her pack to her. He did without question and Jenna found a small screwdriver in a side pocket. She shoved the blunt side of it into the wall next to the small door. She stuck her fingers in the small gap and pulled out the metal piece, which revealed a control panel. “David!” Jenna shouted over the wind, “Come sit next to me, with your legs hanging!” David did as she said, and with both of them sitting there was about three inches of space between each leg and the wall and about two feet of gap over their heads. “Now, listen carefully,” Jenna told him. “You’re gonna cross your ankles–” “Wait! Where are you going?” “I’m going with you!” Jenna shouted to him. “Now we’re going to cross our ankles, close our eyes, and jump.” “''Jump''?!?” he demanded. “Are you crazy?” “Possibly,” Jenna answered, “but that’s not the point.” “That’s not very reassuring!” David yelled over the wind. “Just trust me!” she told him with such force in her words that David was forced to follow. He gingerly took her hand then squeezed it tight. David looked at the fast-moving ground and his stomach lurched. “I’m not so sure about–” But he never got to finish his sentence. Because at that moment, Jenna leaped off the bus edge and into the grey swiftly moving ground, pulling David with her. Not a sound was emitted from either of them. Chapter 8: Gone Markus was really getting too old for this. What he needed was a nice, relaxing tropical vacation where all of his worries could go somewhere else. But no, right now he was going listen for the all clear words from mysterious kids who were with a bloodthirsty group. At least, that’s what he thought it was. Because it made sense. But looks are almost always deceiving, which was something Markus had yet to find out. He pushed off the disgusting arm chairs to push himself out of the chair. He had already pressed the B-E-E button, which meant Back Escape Exit, minutes ago and was surprised he hadn’t heard the all clear words. Maybe his hearing was failing just like his age. Markus made his way to the back of the bus. He first hesitated, then knelt and pushed open the door. He shouted through the opening. “Hey, you guys there?” No answer. “Hello? Anyone there?” Still no answer. Markus sighed and crawled inside the opening, where he had never been before. Inside, he could stand his full height and there was plenty of room. In the room there were buckets, containers, and bins filled with weird-looking objects. There was even a small box built into the wall with wires growing out of it. What was not in there was the two kids. Markus pulled up a bin and sat down. How could he had lost the kids? He knew they were dangerous, that they didn’t trust him, that he didn’t trust them, but for some reason he felt like he was responsible for those two. And now they were gone. With nothing he could do about it. He felt terrible, honestly, but he knew sitting here wouldn’t get them back. Anyway, why should he care about them? And with that he turned around, made his way out the secret door, latched it, and sat back in his driver’s seat, strapping the battered seat belt back around his body. After all, it wasn’t his fault that they kids were in some sort of trouble, right? It wasn’t his fault that they were gone. Category:Stories by MBers